It is no secret that Fitbit had a huge Holiday season this year. Following the Christmas holiday, the free Fitbit app jumped into the top 15 of the App Store, where it remains almost 2 weeks later. This is a pretty solid predictor of just how many Fitbits were gifted. While the publicly traded company seems to be maintaining its popularity, their devices are starting to feel a bit dated. Their most connected device (the Surge) still has a monochrome display and is clearly marketed (and priced) for the running enthusiast. The company’s other offerings are a huge step down in connectivity, offering, at best, a tiny, single line, text display. To kick off the new year, Fitbit has upped the ante and is introducing the new Fitbit Blaze. The Blaze is a color touchscreen device designed for fitness and everyday use. It offers several watch faces, rich notifications, music controls, a heart rate monitor, activity tracking, and auto sleep and workout tracking. The device also is able to utilize your phone’s GPS to track your runs and offers guided workouts via the company’s FitStar service. Blaze is basically a small square module that can be popped out and moved between bands; it ships with a rubber sports band but you can purchase additional straps including leather and link metal ones. The $199.95 device is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows Phone and has a 5 day battery life. You can preorder the Blaze now and it is expected to hit retail shelves in March.
Honestly, we are really excited about the new Fitbit Blaze. While it might not be the most unique product on the market, it is a very competitive offering from the industry leading wearable producer. If Fitbit wanted to stay on top, they needed this product. The timing of the announcement is not great for Fitbit though. First, it is a shame that the Blaze did not hit shelves in time for the Holidays. Not only am I sure there are a lot of people who would have gladly paid the $50 premium over the Fitbit Charge HR, I bet there are a lot of people who are now pretty disappointed with the Fitbit they received. Second, with three months until launch, Fitbit might have been smarter to keep the Blaze under wraps for a bit longer to avoid stepping on consumer’s toes not even 2 weeks after Christmas.
